By Danielle Achin
The Framingham State University Women’s Basketball team dominated the court 59-50 in non-conference action against MIT Dec. 7.
In the first quarter, both teams paced up and down the court trading baskets. Senior Krysta Padellaro came in for a layup immediately followed by a forced turnover from sophomore Gwendolyn Carpenter for an 8-4 lead.
The Engineers responded with back-to-back hoops – tying the game 8-8 with just over six minutes left in the first quarter before the Rams called for a timeout.
With the team utilizing the whole court to their advantage, MIT’s defense was forced into uncoordinated positions, which made for easy layups for the Rams.
With incredible ball movement, FSU was able to end the first quarter with a 16-15 lead.
The Engineers came back aggressively in the second, determined to advance their score.
MIT senior Christina Antonakakis came in hot with back-to-back 3-point jumpers, making for a 19-16 lead with 7:28 on the clock.
The Engineers’ spunk didn’t last long and the Rams took back the lead 30-27 with just over four minutes remaining before the half.
Returning to the court for the third quarter, FSU pushed the lead with a shot from behind the arc by sophomore Flannery O’Connor with just under seven minutes on the clock.
Despite many forced turnovers from MIT, the Rams kept up with their defense – shaking the Engineers’ confidence and closed the third with a 12-point lead.
In the final quarter, MIT managed to advance their score with a few free throws with just over three minutes left in the game, but the Rams continued to maintain the lead.
The Rams closed the game, scoring the final nine points, including a three-point jumper from O’Connor to secure the 59-50 victory.
Continuing into the season with a 7-2 record, Head Coach Walter Paschal praised his team for
defending the home court against the opposing teams aggression.
“They’re genuinely really close to each other and they trust each other on the court, and that’s exactly what they did,” he said. “Even when we hit some bumps in the road, they didn’t fold and they figured it out.”
O’Connor also commented on her team’s performance adding, “We definitely stepped up to the challenge, they’re a really good team overall.
“I think we really just took their pressure and just fueled oa of that – we kind of shut them down,” she said.
The Rams Women’s Basketball team looks to push their record for an 8-2 overall when they host Regis this Saturday, Dec. 11.